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How to make a Jet evaluation
By Donald Crawford, Ph.D. creator of Jet evaluations
Making an evaluation using the Jet Educator Evaluation is quite different from the usual way of evaluating educators. A traditional evaluation starts with observations and then requires the evaluator to write a one-off narrative describing the unique strengths and weakness of this one individual based on what happened during the observation. The observed strengths and weaknesses may or may not have anything to do with professional development that has been provided to the staff. The next evaluation, of the teacher next door, also begins with an observation and requires the creation a new set of strengths and weakness that probably have nothing to do with any other evaluation—previous evaluations of this educator, or current evaluations of peers. Often, the teachers are not expecting feedback on the aspects of the teaching craft which happen to be observed—they are likely to be focused on some other areas of teaching and are unable to anticipate what will be described from the observation. Most importantly, descriptions of “areas of weakness” required in the evaluation do not give a picture of what excellence looks like, leaving the teacher with little direction as to how to improve. Such evaluations are fundamentally flawed because they are driven by chance—by what happens to be seen during the observation. Here is a diagram of the traditional evaluation process.
A Jet Educator Evaluation begins before the observation, with a careful selection of objectives—of discrete teaching (or administrative) skills and behaviors that are desired. These can be selected on any number of criteria. Objectives for evaluation can be chosen on the basis of professional development (things we just taught you how to do), district-wide expectations
Observation
Strengths and
Weaknesses
Described
Evaluation
Presented to
Educator
(things we have asked you to do), salient problems in the classroom (things you need to do to get your class under control), or preference of the school leader (things I want to have happen in this school). The objectives
are selected by checking them off the full list on the Jet Evaluations website. The objectives are stated as expectations and can be printed out to be shared with staff ahead of time—in a staff meeting, if they are uniform across the building, or in the pre-conference, if they are unique to the educator. See an example to the right.
Once objectives are selected for the particular educator to be evaluated, a click of a button causes the
Jet Evaluations website to create data-gathering forms unique to that set of objectives. For teachers, there are two forms—one listing for the evaluator the “points to look for” while doing in-class observations and a second form listing the “questions to be asked” of the teacher to document the way they meet those objectives. Armed with these forms the evaluator observes in the classroom or interviews the educator until the data is gathered. It turns out that a few short observations at strategic times do a better job of documenting specific teaching skills and behaviors than a single hour long observation.^1
After the data is collected, the evaluator uses it to rate the performance of the individual on each specific objective or teaching behavior. Within that individual’s evaluation form on the
(^1) For principals/administrators there are four data-gathering documents. (1) Principal interview questions, (2) Teacher interview questions, (3) Parent survey questions, (4) Things to look for. Most objectives use more than one data-gathering method to corroborate findings in principal evaluations.
13. Effectively corrects misbehavior. Teachers are expected to intervene effectively to correct misbehavior that disrupts or interferes with instruction. Effective corrections either decrease or eliminate the misbehavior over time—while increasing desired behaviors such as participation. Examples: not following along, not tracking with finger, not chorally answering, not doing work, calling out, not staying in seat, etc. The best teachers are able to correct misbehaviors without losing instructional time or creating unpleasant side effects in the classroom atmosphere. 5 Excellent: Teacher effectively corrects any misbehaviors (they go down in frequency) and does so quickly while keeping instruction going and the tone positive and upbeat. 4 Sometimes excellent but not yet consistently. 3 Satisfactory: Teacher generally intervenes effectively to correct misbehavior that disrupts instruction. 2 Sometimes satisfactory but not yet consistently 1 Unsatisfactory: Teacher’s efforts to correct misbehavior are ineffective or are disruptive to instruction.
Jet Educator Evaluations provides nearly 100 specific objectives to choose from. Even so, if the one you want isn’t there, we have provided a helpful wizard to assist you to create your own objectives, which will then work just as our objectives do on the website. We know that you are going to have to try out this unique and revolutionary process in order to know if it will work for you. That is why your first year with up to 12 evaluations is free of charge. We know you’ll become a customer for life!
